EVANS MILLS — A Miami developer is considering building a 600,000-square-foot outlet mall with a multi-purpose arena near Fort Drum’s main gate off Route 11 in LeRay, according to the town supervisor. [Read more…]

Work continues on phase five of construction at the Eagle Ridge Village townhouses in the town of LeRay. More housing units being proposed have Indian River Central School District officials considering a new expansion plan. Amanda Morrison/ Watertown Daily Times

Housing projects near Fort Drum usually boost enrollment numbers at Indian River School District, and officials are preparing for another big one that is expected to increase the scope of a multimillion-dollar capital project being planned.

California developer Fidelity Holdings Corp. plans to build anywhere from 215 to 230 multifamily townhouse rental units off Route 11, north of Eagle Ridge Village. The developer is making a push to approve the project in the town of LeRay this fall and break ground in the spring, finishing construction in three years. District and town officials are scheduled to meet Oct. 30 with the developer to discuss the plan. [Read more…]

Workers assemble a townhouse as work continues on phase five of construction at the Eagle Ridge Village townhouses off of Route 342 in the town of LeRay. Amanda Morrison/ Watertown Daily Times

Drivers on Route 342 will notice a beehive of workers on the roofs of massive two-story townhouses at Eagle Ridge Village, where a total of 92 units are under construction and families are expected to start moving in this fall.

After breaking ground on the $10.5 million fifth phase of the project in February, workers are now about halfway done framing the eight buildings at the site near Route 342 and Goulds Corners Road in LeRay, said project manager Thomas R. Briggs of Clover Construction, Williamsville.

Families are expected to start occupying units in October as they are completed, he said, and the whole project should be done by April.

The project calls for 46 four-bedroom townhouses — the largest size available at the subdivision — and 46 two- or three-bedroom townhouses. The 100-acre site will include one 14-unit building, five 12-unit buildings, one 10-unit building and one eight-unit building.

When the 92 units are completed in the spring, the subdivision will include a total of 740 market-rate rental units built over the past six years.

The enormous multiphase project—made possible by tax breaks approved by municipalities—was hatched in the summer of 2007 to address the need for affordable off-post housing at Fort Drum.

Mr. Briggs said the four-bedroom apartments under construction will accommodate large military families at Fort Drum.

“We were told from the military that there are a lot of blended families with spouses who have kids from both sides,” he said.

The neighborhood also will feature a playground, bus shelters and a full-sized basketball court.

The developer is waiting for National Grid to complete electrical work at the site, Mr. Briggs said, but a delay isn’t anticipated.

“We can’t project what National Grid is going to do, but all of the preliminary design work needed for the project is done,” he said. “Working with them has been a very laborious back-and-forth process, but they’re in the final stages on paperwork and projected to be done with work in the fall.”

Anywhere from 30 to 50 workers hired by subcontractors — many of them local — work at the site during the week, Mr. Briggs said. Clover Construction also has a crew of 15 workers there.